Colorblindness: What it Means to be “Colorblind”

Having poor color vision is a problem that is more common than you would think. Most people refer to having poor color vision as suffering from “colorblindness,” however, there are different levels at which you can be “colorblind.” People who only see in black and white and experience true “colorblindness” are incredibly rare.

Colorblindness runs in the family unfortunately, so if you have a relative who is colorblind there is a strong chance that you or someone else in your family will be born with colorblindness. Studies have shown that people born with colorblindness are predominantly men. Studies also show that the most common form of colorblindness is the inability to distinguish red and green. On the less common side of the coin, there are people who are unable to distinguish shades of blue and yellow as well.

Aside from being born with colorblindness you can also develop it due to some eye diseases and medications—eye trauma could also potentially cause colorblindness in certain circumstances.

There is a chance that you have been colorblind your entire life and just not known about it. There are some people who only find out they are colorblind by chance—which can be potentially dangerous in the instance they cant tell the difference between a green and red light at a traffic stop.

Those who are affected by colorblindness may have difficulty seeing:

• Shades of red and green
• Shades of blue and yellow
• All color

If you think there is a chance you have issues with distinguishing certain colors then you should consider scheduling an eye exam so your doctor can give you colorblindness tests and be sure once and for all.

Currently there is no cure for colorblindness, however if your inability to perceive color is caused by an eye injury or some type of illness then it is possible that treatment could return your color perception.